“My husband and I have four kids — Jackson, 5; Kasey, 9; Kaylee, 12; and Cameron, 15 — and I was in the nursing field,” said owner Carrie Ann Wood. “Because we have such a large family, being your own boss is something we needed to do to spend more time with the kids, so the idea for Jump’in Jacks came to us six months ago.”

The idea for the play zone, Wood said, sprang from the couple reminiscing about their own childhood, and wishing to offer the same amenities to their own children.

“My husband and I are locals,” Wood said. “We met at Ruckel (C.W. Ruckel Middle School in Niceville), and back then Niceville had so many things to do like dances, skating rinks and movie theaters, but now that we have four children, there’s nothing to do.”

Jump’in Jacks offers six inflatable bounce houses, including a 32-foot obstacle course, a free arcade, which features Pac-Man and Donkey Kong video games, foosball and air hockey tables, a basketball throw and two XBOX 1X consoles with age appropriate games. For the toddlers and children under the age of 4, there is a large, designated play area in the back complete with two bounce houses just for toddlers.

“That’s what people really love,” Wood said, “We have a baby bouncer, and the foam flooring and a place where mom can sit while they play, and she doesn’t have to worry about chasing them around.”

Wood said the timing couldn’t have been better to open the play zone as not only is Niceville a quickly growing community in need of some family activities, but also the weather has been lending a nice hand to the start of the business.

“We opened during (Hurricane) Nate, so it couldn’t have been better timing for a ton of rain,” she said. “It was off the chain that first weekend! So far, I’ve had nothing but positive feedback.”

When asked if her own children enjoy Jump’in Jacks, Wood said they can’t get enough of it.

“They love it!” she said. “They come here every day. My son Cameron mans the front desk. My daughter Kylee can’t help chipping in with cleaning – even when I tell her she doesn’t have to – and it’s a way for my sons, Kasey and Jackson, to burn off energy.”

Even though Jump’in Jacks opened less than one month ago, Wood said she already has some new ideas in store for the business.

“We are going to have nachos and hot dogs and are adding two 40-inch screen TV’s so we can show college football on Sundays,” she said. “We are also planning to have cold brew coffee and add to our offerings of candy, and snacks.”